Panel type wall having ties for interconnecting the panels

ABSTRACT

The panel type wall comprises a plurality of panels disposed side by side and further comprises ties in the rear of the panels for interconnecting the next adjacent panels in a manner in which the confronting edges are in abutting relationship with one another. These ties can be rendered ineffective by moving one of the panels relative to others so that the one panel can be removed from the panel wall.

United States Patent Ekstrom PANEL TYPE WALL HAVING TIES FORINTERCONNECTING THE PANELS Inventor: Robert Elrstrom, 7364 Via Capri,

La Jolla, Calif. 92037 Filed: Feb. 22, 1971 Appl. No.: 117,373

US. Cl. ..52/489, 52/51 1, 52/582 Int. Cl. ..E04b 2/82 Field 01 Search..52/493, 492, 489, 51 1, 582,

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 111958 Olsen ..52/584X 1/1962Clevenger .;...52/489)( [15] 3,681,886 51 Aug. 8, 1972 3,022,869 2/1962Radek ..52/489 3,073,420 1/1963 O1sen ..52/481 X 3,173,178 3/1965Kumburis ..52/51l X 3,214,875 1 1/1965 Slowinski et al ..52/3643,290,847 12/1966 Fenwick......................52/489 PrimaryExaminer-Price C. Faw, Jr. Artorneywarren H. F. Schmieding 57 ABSTRACTThe panel type wall comprises a plurality of panels disposed side byside and further comprises ties in the rear of the panels forinterconnecting the next adjacent panels in a manner in which theconfronting edges are in abutting relationship with one another. Theseties can be rendered ineffective by moving one of the panels relative toothers so that the one panel can be removed from the panel wall.

4 Claims, 5 Drawing Figures PATENTEDAUE 8 m2 SHEET 1 OF 2 INVENTOR.ROBERT EKSTROM PATENTED E 8 I973 3.681. 886

INVENTOR. ROBERT EKSTROM Cdwvwv. H

PANEL TYPE WALL HAVING TIES FOR INTER-CONNECTING TIIE PANELS BACKGROUNDOF THE INVENTION 1 Field of the Invention The field relates to paneltype walls employing ties between the confronting edges of adjacentpanels. such being classified principally in Classes 52 and 189.

2. Description of the Prior Art A search of the prior art revealed thefollowing None of these patents disclose a panel wall having tieelements disposed in the rear of the panels and none are designed sothat the confronting edges of adjacent panels are in abuttingrelationship.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The rear side of each panel is provided with anelongated groove. A plate is fixed to the rear side of each panel, eachplate including aligned longitudinally extending slots that are alignedwith the groove in the 'panel. A strip is provided having alignedlongitudinally extending hooks that are arranged to extend through theslots; and by shifting the strip, the hooks slide into latching positionwith the fixed plate. The strips of the next adjacent panels havesections that extend between resilient and flexible tines on a panelsupporting frame, and when so extended, the panels are pulled toward oneanother to positions in which the confronting edges of the panels are inabutting relationship.

Other features and the advantages of the present invention will beapparent from the following descrip tion, reference being made to theaccompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the invention isillustrated.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. I is a fragmentary view showingfronts of fragments of two panels, also showing fragments of theelements which hold the edges of the panels in abutting relationship;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view of a strip having aligned hooks, the viewlooking in the direction of arrows 2-2 of FIG. 1',

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 3-3 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 4-4 of FIG. 3;and 6 FIG. 5 is a front view of two adjoining panels and fragments oftwo additional panels being shown.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring first to FIG. 5. afragmentary front view of 5 a panel wall 10 is shown, the fragmentincluding two wallboard type panels 12 and 14 and two adjoining likepanels 16 and 18. Referring now to the remaining FIGS., panel 12 isprovided with a longitudinal groove 20 which lies adjacent and parallelwith an edge 22 of that panel. Likewise, panel 14 is provided with agroove 24 which lies adjacent and parallel with an edge 26 of panel 14.

Plate means in the form of a single, elongated plate 28 is fixed in anysuitable manner, as by glue, to the rear side of panel 12. This plate isprovided with a plurality of elongated slots 30. These slots extendparallelly with the groove 20 in panel 12 and register with the groove20. Likewise, plate means in the form of a single, elongated plate 3'2is fixed to the rear side of panel 14. Plate 32 is provided with aplurality of elongated slots 34. These slots 34 extend parallelly withthe groove 24 in panel 14 and register with the groove 24.

Strip means in the form of asingle elongated strip 36 is provided with aplurality of aligned and longitudinally extending hooks 38. These hooksare adapted to extend longitudinally through the slots in plate 28 andinto groove 20 in panel 12. This is more clearly shown in FIG. 4 whereina strip means in the form of a single strip 40 is also provided with aplurality of aligned and longitudinally extending hooks 42. Hooks 42 areadapted to extend through plate 32 and into the groove 24 of panel 14.By sliding the plate 32 to its extreme right position. which position isshown in FIG. 4, the hooks 42 frictionally engage the inside surfaces ofthe plate 32. Likewise, the hooks 38 of strip 36 are adapted to engagethe inside surfaces of plate 28. Thus the strips 36 and 40 arefrictionally held in position with respect to the plates 28 and 32. yetthey can be shifted manually so that they can clear the slots in theplates.

The strip 36 has a section 44 which abuts the rear side of plate 28.This section extends toward the edge 22 in panel 12. It also has asection 46 which extends rearwardly. Strip 40 also has a section 48which abuts the rear side of plate 32 and it extends toward the edge 26of panel 14. Strip 40 is also provided with a section 50 which extendsrearwardly.

A frame comprises a plurality of joined wires 52, preferably formed ofsteel, which extend longitudinally and are aligned, in the presentdisclosure, in superimposed relationship. Each of the joined wires 52 isprovided with tine sections 54, $6, 58 and 60. The tine sections 54 and56 are adapted to receive the rearwardly extending sections 46 and 50 ofstrips 36 and 40, respectively, and the tine sections 58 and 60 areadapted to receive like rearwardly extending sections that areincorporated in panels like panels 12 and 14. Either the tine sectionsof the wire frames or the sections of the strips 36 and 40 may be formedof resilient and flexible metal. for example steel. As herein shown. thetine sections are formed of resilient and flexible material whereby.when the rear sections 46 and 50 are 5 pushed between the tine sections54 and 56, the edges 22 and 26 of panels 12 and 14 are pulled intoabutting relationship. Thus only a crack is visible between adjacentpanels.

When assembling two panels, such as panels 12 and 14, the strip 36 isattached to the panel 12 by inserting the hooks 38 of that strip throughthe slots in plate 28. Then the strip is shifted manually so that itfrictionally engages the inner surfaces of the plate. The same action isapplied for attaching the strip 40 to plate 32 on the panel 14. Thepanels can be pushed rearwardly independently or in unison whereby thestrip sections 46 and 50 are frictionally held in place by the tines 54and 56. To remove a panel, for example panel 14, from a panel type wallsuch as wall 10, panel 14 is raised sufficiently, while the strip 36 isheld in position by tine sections 54 and 56, so that the slots 34 aremoved in positions at which the hooks no longer retain the plate 32.Then by pulling forwardly on the panel I4, it can be removed fromadjacent panels 12 and l8.

Thus it is apparent from the foregoing that by virtue of the presentinvention, l have provided a panel type wall in which the confrontingedges of adjacent panels are in abutting relationship, yet theinterconnecting means is not visible. Also, I have provided for theready assembling of a plurality of separate panels and the ready removalof a panel which is interposed between adjacent panels.

Having described my invention, I claim:

I. A panel type wall comprising in combination:

A. a frame for supporting panels, said frame including sectionsconfronting one another;

B. a panel, said panel being grooved adjacent an edge thereof;

C. plate means fixed to the panel, said plate means lying parallely withthe panel and having a plurality of longitudinally extending slotstherein in registry with the groove in said panel;

D. a second panel having an edge adjoining said edge of the firstmentioned panel, said second mentioned panel being grooved adjacent thesaid edge thereof;

E. second plate means fixed to the second mentioned panel, said lattermeans lying parallelly with the second mentioned panel and having aplurality of longitudinally extending slots therein in registry with thegroove in the second mentioned panel;

F. strip means having:

I. a plurality of longitudinally extending and aligned hooks, said hooksextending through the slots of the first mentioned plate means, saidstrip means being slidable longitudinally for hooking the hooks thereofagainst the rear side of the first mentioned plate means;

2. a section extending between the confronting sections of the frame,certain of said sections being flexible and resilient for yieldinglyholding the strip means in position;

G. second strip means having:

I. a plurality of longitudinally aligned hooks, said hooks extendingthrough the slots of the second mentioned plate means, said latter stripmeans being slidable longitudinally for hooking the hooks thereofagainst the rear side of second mentioned plate means;

2. a section extending between the confronting sections of the frame,certain of the sections being flexible and resilient for yieldinglyholding 1. Ass... its: swans?! assi t terized in that the sections ofthe frame are flexible and resilient.

3. A panel type wall as defined in claim 1, characterized in that theedges of the panels are in abutting relationship.

4. A panel type wall as defined in claim 1, characterized in that thewidth of the slots is greater than the thickness of the hooks.

i i i t

1. A panel type wall comprising in combination: A. a frame forsupporting panels, said frame including sections confronting oneanother; B. a panel, said panel being grooved adjacent an edge thereof;C. plate means fixed to the panel, said plate means lying parallely withthe panel and having a plurality of longitudinally extending slotstherein in registry with the groove in said panel; D. a second panelhaving an edge adjoining said edge of the first mentioned panel, saidsecond mentioned panel being grooved adjacent the said edge thereof; E.second plate means fixed to the second mentioned panel, said lattermeans lying parallelly with the second mentioned panel and having aplurality of longitudinally extending slots therein in registry with thegroove in the second mentioned panel; F. strip means having:
 1. aplurality of longitudinally extending and aligned hooks, said hooksextending through the slots of the first mentioned plate means, saidstrip means being slidable longitudinally for hooking the hooks thereofagainst the rear side of the first mentioned plate means;
 2. a sectionextending between the confronting sections of the frame, certain of saidsections being flexible and resilient for yieldingly holding the stripmeans in position; G. second strip means having:
 1. a plurality oflongitudinally aligned hooks, said hooks extending through the slots ofthe second mentioned plate means, said latter strip means being slidablelongitudinally for hooking the hooks thereof against the rear side ofsecond mentioned plate means;
 2. a section extending between theconfronting sections of the frame, certain of the sections beingflexible and resilient for yieldingly holding said second mentionedstrip means in position.
 2. a section extending between the confrontingsections of the frame, certain of said sections being flexible andresilient for yieldingly holding the strip means in position; G. secondstrip means having:
 2. a section extending between the confrontingsections of the frame, certain of the sections being flexible andresilient for yieldingly holding said second mentioned strip means inposition.
 2. A panel type wall as defined in claim 1, characterized inthat the sections of the frame are flexible and resilient.
 3. A paneltype wall as defined in claim 1, characterized in that the edges of thepanels are in abutting relationship.
 4. A panel type wall as defined inclaim 1, characterized in that the width of the slots is greater thanthe thickness of the hooks.